Longitudinal Study of African-American Oldest Old, 1988-1996

Interviews were conducted in the participant's home and lasted 2-3 hours, and sometimes involved two visits to complete. The interview contained both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Variables assessed include demographic variables, socioeconomic status, physical status, psychological status, social integration, and formal support.

Demographics include age, gender, marital and household status, number of surviving and deceased children, and religious denominations. Socioeconomic status was examined using education and occupation variables, sources of income, qualification for public assistance, and a self-report economic well being variable. Physical status was evaluated with five measures which examined items of personal care like feeding and hygiene.

Psychological status includes self-reported mood ratings and was also assessed using eight items from the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale. Social integration variables include information from discussions about category of relatives, levels of assistance, rewards from relationships, and relationship satisfaction. Formal support measured the use of home care, special transportation needs, and other forms of support.

The Murray Research Archive holds 122 questionnaires for the African American sample. Follow-up is not possible.